Fishing TipsWelcome to Wayne's Words Home of Lake Powell Fishing Informationhttp://wayneswords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=43&Itemid=11
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http://wayneswords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=412:jp-rig-anchovy-slow-trolling&catid=43:stripers&Itemid=11This is my first post on this site - I don't really know why I haven't done it before this - I guess it's because as a kid my Grand Pa would say that if you tell anyone about your secret fishing hole then it's not a secret and pretty soon you will not have a fishing hole. I also have a problem with talking about myself and fishing because it seems like bragging - another thing that Grand Pa warned against. Oh well here goes.

Since so many have been willing to share their "secret fishing hole methods" I have felt more than a little guilty about just enjoying the stories and taking the information while not putting anything back. So here goes, I hope you will enjoy this and find the following information helpful

I have fished Powell for about ten years but it wasn't until the last four years that I began to focus some serious attention on fishing for Stripers - I have lived in the Northwest (Portland, Or) where I chased Steelhead and Salmon during the seasons. Before that I lived in Salt Lake City where I was caught up in spending many nights fishing for trophy Browns and the Big Lakers at the "Gorge", but it wasn't until a July family outing to Lake Powell that I was bitten by the Striper bug.

I have always believed that fish bite for only a few reasons, well really only two - they are hunger or their instinct is "triggered to bite". When it comes down to it there is really only one reason for a bite the "trigger". Now most of you know this already but how many of you know the best method for determining the "trigger".

My first recommendation if you are just getting started fishing for a new prey like fresh water Striper's - ask questions and fish with "old fishermen".

When I moved to Portland from Salt Lake City on the very first day in the office, I began asking questions about the fishing. The most important question I asked was "who is the best fisherman". I soon had two names John and Doug it didn't take long to locate John and after a week of me crashing his lunch break he agreed to take me steelhead fishing. I of course asked all the questions about gear and rigs so as to be as prepared as possible. I offered to drive and bring the lunch being careful to walk the fine line of respect and smoozzing.

It was standing in the water of the Sandy River that I realized that John deserved the title of "Best Fisherman" we where using exactly the same thing (sand shrimp, corky's and yarn). I was standing so close to him that you would have thought that we where sharing waders , and casting to the exact spot. John caught and released 6 steelhead that morning the largest was about twelve pounds best guess.

I watched with amazement as he repeated the process over and over again each time laughing with this deep barreled chest laugh of his that rolled up the canyon like thunder. He wasn't laughing because he had caught a fish, he was laughing at me because by this time I am saying audible prayers, crossing my fingers on each cast (all of them) not so easy to do.

We finished the day (John 6 - Kent 0) on the drive home John got into the fine details of the "trigger" - He said that the trigger is more often a combination of subtle methods applied to a given condition than it is any single one thing. However in my case on this day he thought that I was just holding my mouth wrong (again with the laugh).

Thus began a friendship that lasted many years until a heart attack took the wind out of the laugh and the spring out of the walk for old John, but not before he taught me how to define the "trigger" in many given conditions. I don't see John much any more, I miss his easy laugh and gentle manner, what I am about to share with you is a direct result of time that I spent with the "Best fisherman" I ever knew.

The "Trigger" for Stripers on Lake Powell

Like John said the trigger is most often a combination of subtle methods applied to given conditions than any one thing that triggers a bite. Some would argue that conditions on Lake Powell vary greatly but I would take exception to that . If you go to Lake Powell on any given week of a month those conditions will be pretty close the same next year when you return. Until lately even the water levels have been pretty reliable not that they are a factor for this trigger. So one thing that what we have going for us are pretty reliable conditions. Some of the things I am going to tell you will go against "accepted fishing norms" but hear me out cause they work.

When we fish Lake Powell we do not fish early or late in the day -why is that you might ask?

In July I was at Lake Powell on a family outing not a fishing trip - true fishermen know the difference.

We where staying in the rental units at Bull Frog Bay marine. I decided to wake early to wet a line but could not convince anyone to go along until about 9AM when my son Bryan finally caved in. We purchased a bag of frozen anchovies and pulled the boat out of the slip just past the Bouy field in Bullfrog Bay.

We began marking suspended fish at about 50 to 70 feet I quickly rigged up two poles with what we call a Herring rig, spreader and drop sinker (3oz) on about 12" of 8lb. We counted our baits down to 50 pulls and started trolling slowly just getting a slow roll out of the baits, it was not even a minute and we both hooked up. We fished about 3 hours and promptly filled the 105 quart fish box (cooler) on the back of the boat. The heat from the midday sun was getting to both of us so we quit, but I have been hooked on striper fishing at Powell every since.

Each year I go back to Lake Powell not in July but in May, I'm older now I fish with a friend who just happens to be my wife's uncle he is in his 70's . We enjoy the fact that we don't have to be rushed - we slip the boat and stay aboard at Bullfrog marine, each day we will leave by 9am and rarely fish past noon - we will generally catch 40 fish but have caught upwards of 100 before we quit for the day, my rule is how many do I want to fillet on any given day.

It is rare that we will go fishing in the afternoon because it is so hot. Instead we opt to take our time filleting the fish at the cleaning station while we toss back a couple cold one's. The reason I am writing this article is that so many people are amazed at how many fish we are catching. You would think that after so many years of fishing the same week at the same place we would run into somebody that was doing as well or better than we are, not so in fact not even close. From my observations the spring is pretty slow striper fishing for most people yet we consistently score big catches year in and year out.

I do share what we are doing and how we do it but I think that unless you actually see it done it is difficult for people to get it down. I have shown the rigs to dozens of people, in fact I even tied some up for other fishermen and I only know of one other couple that has had success. I am convinced that it is what John said about the "trigger" it's not anyone thing but rather a combination of subtle methods coming together in a given condition that produce results. So to the best of my ability I will try and share those subtle methods that seem to work for us.

First we troll - if you don't troll then move on, we troll slow .5 to .75 mph the speed is adjusted to fit the roll of the bait - the bait must roll in a slow wide roll like a "wounded fish" = "the trigger". Everything you do is to create this look of the bait, it is the instinct trigger that makes fish on the spawn bite. If it spins, swims or the mouth is pulled open because of the tie, or it is broken it will not roll and it won't work.

Be consistent - I use the same gear on all the stations - no one brings "their pole" they use mine, no one use a different bait - the only variable is depth.

For fun sometimes we will stack two and three well tied baits on one line and catch two and three Stripers at a time.

I use long poles because we fish out of a 23' cuddy - it's the length that is important in case you need to swing out of the way of the kicker motor or muscle a fish into the net. Once again be consistent - I use the same length poles because we count down our depth from the reels to the first eye. Here is the formula one pull from the reel to the first eye using a 3oz cannonball weight trolled at .5 to .75 mph will result in a one foot drop 50 pulls = 50 feet (approx) but more importantly it is consistent.

We will fish the same rigs at different depths until we begin to catch fish, not only just fish but the size of fish. Like most fishermen we want to catch the biggest fish we can so keep in mind Stripers are like Lake trout they will generally school in sizes. One other point almost always the larger fish are deeper.

You might ask why not use down riggers - you can but it will slow you down, the most important thing to know is what depth your bait is at when you pick up a fish, so you will be able repeat the process. I like fishing with down riggers for lake trout but remember you are going to catch 50 to 100 of these 3-4- 5-7 lbs stripers you can't keep up with that setting down riggers and tying baits.

I use the same reels on all the poles - I prefer Abu Garcia 6500 with clickers - I like the drags which should be set very loose while trolling. Stripers hit like a ton of bricks and will really make the reel sing. A loose drag let's you control the hook set and prevents the fish from tearing off on the strike. You can adjust the drag to the fish once you have a good hook-up.

If you miss a bite change baits cause chances are you are dragging a piece of anchovy. Never leave a bait out in hopes of a second strike it isn't going to happen. Sometimes you can open your bail and let you bait drop immediately after a missed strike and the fish will come back and pick it up but you have to be fast to make this work.

Once again be consistent same size line, length of leader, size of swivels, size of spreaders and weight size 3oz cannon ball on a drop leader from the spreader.

Be ready to fish - I will tie up 1 or 2 dozen leaders ("John Pauly Rig") before I go to the lake, once at the lake I will rig two poles for every fisherman - all but the sinkers, I pre-tie about a dozen baits and keep them sitting on ice in a cooler; again consistency counts, all the leaders are the same length, they all use the same size number 7 swivels.

If you do this right it will be non stop action most of the time you will be fighting a fish or netting a fish or tying a bait . If you are going to take a lunch break stop fishing but stay where you are at. Stripers will bring in other stripers - we cut up anchovies and chum a bucket of anchovies (about two bags) and drop them on our first pattern pass.

Once we get the stripers going the bite seems to just gets stronger so we go. Rarely do we break for lunch, we just slug down a beer or water on the fly. But boy have we sponsored some fish taco parties on the docks after the fishing is done, but that is another story.

OK the hard part is getting the bait tied right - Old John was a fanatic about the bait and so am I, if it is not done right you are just going for a boat ride. I like to have the anchovies not quite fully thawed I lay the anchovy in my left hand tail down toward the palm and head pointing toward my fingers. I pass both hooks of the herring rig hooks down and through both eyes try not to pop the eyes. Now you have a anchovy with the leader passed through from the top down bring the hooks under the belly side so the hooks are on top of the anchovy.

VERY IMPORTANT: The leader must pass under the anchovy or the mouth will flop open when it is trolled.

Put the anchovy flat on a bait table still pointing the same direction, now take the second hook from the end (you have two hooks the tail hook and the head hook) you want the head hook, it will be the one closest to the head.

You must hook the anchovy at or just behind the gill plate in a manner that allows the hook shank to lay flat with the eye of the hook towards the anchovy eyes. The curve or bend of the hook will be sticking out the side of bait.

Important that you hook deep enough into the anchovy to catch some ribs on the other side yet not all the way through the bait. Now take the second hook and hook it into the bait just forward of the tail try to catch some of the bones, if you go all the way through John would frown on it but it will still work ok.

Now you should have a bait with two hooks in the side of it and the shanks laid along side with the eye of the hooks toward the head of the bait. The leader runs back down through both eyes and under the gill plate. Hold the head hook at the eye and pull the slack out between both hooks this causes the bait to curl gently - gentle is the key word - if you pull too much the bait will break or it will spin when trolled, not enough and you will not have enough curve in the bait to make your bait roll like a wounded fish.

Now pick the bait up by the leader it should pass under the gill plate in such a way that it holds the mouth closed while trolled.

This is a method used to tie herring for salmon fishing. Other herring bait methods do not work as well, like plug cuts or nose clips. It is the slow wide roll of the bait that triggers the strike.

Do this right and you will have to be prepared to answer one question over and over and over - " What ya using?"

Your reply "whole anchovy".

Let's talk about the rig - The "John Pauly Rig" is a two hook rig with a slip hook - the bottom hook is shank tied and the second hook is tied directly to leader to enable it to slide down the line with enough friction hold the bait in shape. If it's too loose and it won't hold or too tight and it won't slide. It's not hard to do once you have seen it done - but nearly impossible for me to tell you how to do it.

It is important that you tie these rigs neat because you have to pass then through the eyes of the bait. Here is a best example of this not that I can think of - if you look at a commercially tied snelled hook with the line shank wrapped. That is the same knot that you want to tie for both hooks only with the second hook you will use a separate piece of leader to tie it to the shank.

Eagle claw does make some rigs you can buy I am sure they would work.

I just prefer to use rigs I tie myself, made up with 12 lbs green MAX , 2/0 GAMAKATSU Octopus nickel hooks, a medium sized bait spreader and eagle claw # 7 swivels.

The length of the leaders is 3.5 feet. I don't think that Stripers are leader sensitive. I use mono because I like the 12 lb for quick bait tie-ups in the boat and it holds up well to the rough tooth pads on stripers. If there is a problem with this rig it is that after a number of fish the second hook will come loose it. It will not fall off the leader as it is threaded through the eye of the hook but it will need to be tied again after the fishing is over. One thing that I've found helps the front hook from coming loose is to heat the tip of a pocket knife and slightly melt both ends of the leaders used to tie the hook. This eliminates the end of the leader from catching the chovy's eye and keeps the leader from working loose and creating the need to tie on another front hook.

I use swivels to facilitate quick changes of rigs and I use swivels on the line to spreaders as well. I use lighter leader on the drop sinker cannonball usually 8 lbs test and make it about 12" long.

We sometimes use a rig with three hooks - we use these when we have a lot of missed strikes. The third hook is fixed (does not slide) same as the second one. Top is the only slider hook - the trailer hook does not hook in the bait it just rolls along behind the bait - about 1 in 5 hook ups will be on the trailer.(Salmon)

The reason I sent this along was because we do catch some Walleye while we are fishing for Stripers (in the middle of the day) and often a missed hit will result in half an anchovy - I just read your fishing tips on Walleye and their nature of being tail biters and it sparked this rig into memory so I thought I would share one with you. I believe Walleye are a little more leader sensitive not sure? At any rate hook size and line weight can be modified I would be interested to know what you think so that I can tie up a supply of rigs to fish specific to Walleye.

Ok talk fishing - First thing find fish which is not hard at Lake Powell. Stripers can be found everywhere on this monster lake and there are millions of them. Speaking of millions I wish they would have the Million dollar fish contest again. - back to fishing - Well here is what you know: You know that you have to troll slow, using a rolling anchovy and you know how to rig, you know there are fish in the area. So let's fish

Once you locate some fish decide a trolling pattern and stay with it first pass chum a bucket of Anchovies. When setting your baits adjust your boat speed and the anchovy so the bait does a slow wide roll of the bait - count the bait down - one to upper depth range of the marking fish the other on the lower depth range..

Have handy least two nets on board. When a fish hits fight it, net it, hang the net on a pole holder outside of the boat (helps keep the boat clean) with fish still in it.

Change the bait, get your line/bait back into the water prior to removing the fish from the net. Use two pairs of pliers to remove both hooks from the fish, this will save your fingers although stripers don't have big teeth over time those little ones take a toll on your hands.

The fish goes into the box.

Tie a new bait to the now empty hook.

Hook and land the fish that is now biting your new bait.

Repeat above until exhausted.

We will be in Powell the second week of May as usual - Lord willing - maybe we will see you down there and we can swap stories eyeball to eyeball. If this helps you out - great - but don't thank me - all thanks to my friend John Pauly the "BEST FISHERMAN" I know.]]>waynegustaveson@hughes.net (Giz)StripersMon, 30 Jan 2012 18:25:53 +0000Striper Boilshttp://wayneswords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89:striper-boils&catid=43:stripers&Itemid=11
http://wayneswords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89:striper-boils&catid=43:stripers&Itemid=11STRIPER BOILS - Background

Surface feeding activity occurs as 100-5000 striped bass roll and porpoise in unison. These "boils" can simmer or boil over as striped bass trap shad schools against the surface. Water spouts and crashing splashes mark the spot. Disturbance by fishing boats cause striped bass schools to sound and then reappear a few hundred yards away as feeding resumes in a different direction.As shad grow in size and develop stronger swimming ability the surface action gets more intense as striped bass corral shad against the surface or trap them near shore. The tendency for shad to "ball up" in a tight school when predators approach allows striped bass to herd and trap shad schools. The trapped shad school is repeatedly probed by striped bass working together to eat, injure and kill as many shad as possible. Shad are often slashed by the jaws and stunned by the powerful caudal fin during such encounters. Striped bass capture most shad at the surface creating a highly visible disturbance with water spouts and a boat wake-like wave as stripers line up shoulder to shoulder to feed. When the attack commences the surface activity is intense and visible for many hundred meters as water is thrown high in the air. Surface feeding boils last from a few seconds to as long as three hours. Duration is probably determined by shad abundance. Many shad allow a longer feeding period while few shad may be consumed or lost from sight in a few seconds.

Surface boils only occur when shad are present. In years when shad numbers are limited and eventually eliminated from the open water, no striper boils are seen. When shad are abundant boils are common and predictable. Striped bass often feed at the same time in the same location on a daily basis. Striped bass habitually return to a successful feeding spot every day until the forage is consumed or escapes.

Both shad and stripers are tightly bunched as they begin the daily feeding ritual. Normally, about one-half hour after first light shad form schools after spending the night randomly distributed in the water column. This shad schooling behavior attracts striped bass and feeding begins. As shad schools are repeatedly attacked, large schools fragment into smaller groups. Fragmentation of shad schools also causes striped bass schools to break up as groups of striped bass chase after small groups of shad. An original feeding event, one-acre in size, can dissolve into scattered striped bass feeding in many different directions over a square mile. When feeding ceases both shad and striped bass regroup.

If striped bass are satiated they may not eat for the rest of the day. More likely they will randomly feed again near mid-day and then again in the evening just before dark. After dark, shad schools disperse and boils are not likely. Striped bass are effective nocturnal feeders and feed on shad subsurface at night.

In times when forage is very abundant, boils may be rare or half-hearted because shad are easily obtained and schooling efforts are not required to obtain food. Perhaps surface feeding action is at its peak when shad are common but not abundant. Striped bass must now work hard to corner shad for effective feeding opportunities. As shad become scarce, surface feeding opportunities decrease.

Stripers cannot be discussed without including their primary forage, threadfin shad. Every summer, newly hatched shad move from the back of the canyon to the open bays to feed on plankton. Two to four pound striped bass find the small shad and feed aggressively on the surface until the shad are eliminated or get smart and move back toward cover. There may be an extended period of striper surface feeding activity (SLURPS) during July and August at many open water locations over the expanse of Lake Powell. After the mid summer fire works, shad moved out of open water to find escape cover where they could avoid the relentless pursuit of stripers.

Really good surface action is most likely to happen very early in the morning, about 30 minutes after first light. The boil may be near cover, such as a flooded tamarisk cove or a buoy field or break water guarding the marina. Shad need to eat and are prone to sneak out of cover just after dawn and just before dark. That's why boils are seen most often at twilight periods.

As the water begins to cool in September and October, larger stripers which require cooler temperatures and have been living in deep water all summer, are able to spend longer periods of time in the warmer surface layers. The big fish round up schools of shad and drive them into short, wide canyons and coves where they hold them captive in between feeding sprees. Shad get in shallow water where stripers can't swim. Stripers guard the mouth of the cove waiting for a ball of shad to attempt an escape. Finding one of these guarded box canyons is like having your own private fishing hole. Look for shad schools that will not leave shallow water. A wave of the hand over the school causes them to scatter and even jump out on the shore. They will do anything except enter deep water where stripers are patiently waiting.

Ravens walk the shoreline like prison guards waiting for shad to make an ill fated leap for freedom. Ravens, gulls and blue herrons can be used like sign posts that say "Fish here!". Throw your favorite top water bait to the back of the cove near the raven's feet and brace for the jolt of airborne stripers or the slurp of a bass. A large, trapped shad school may stay in the same cove for two weeks while enduring daily feeding attacks from guarding stripers and opportunistic bass. Generally, shad are trapped in a cove for three to five days before escaping or being eliminated. If the shad are gone when you return for another day of fishing search the adjacent shoreline for another shad corral.

Use some of these subtle clues to really increase your striper catch rate. If you need more enticement I will dangle a little more bait. There is often a daily progression of feeding activity. Shad leave cover to feed at first light. Stripers show up about 30 minutes later. The surface boils with flying shad and stripers until shad head for cover again. That can be 5 minutes or two hours depending on the day. But as the shad turn from open water towards cover they find bass waiting. Large and smallmouth bass let stripers drive shad right to their waiting mouths. On numerous occasions I have watched a striper boil build to peak intensity. Then as shad leave open water and stripers lose interest a second wave of green fish hit shad right at the cover line. A zara spook or jumpin' minnow thrown towards the middle of the bay gets a striper swirl while the same lure thrown towards the canyon wall or other cover gets a bass attack. I have taken more big largemouth on top water baits from declining striper boils than with any other method. Three to five pound largemouth will swim near similar size stripers and use the aggressive striped bass wolf pack to get an easy shad meal.How To Find a Canyon with Shad

It is as simple as it sounds. In late summer and fall shad find the shallowest water available to avoid stripers. Cruise to the back of the canyon and LOOK. Recently harassed shad will be along the edge of the cove usually in water less than one foot deep. There will usually be some old tamarisk trees that shad use for additional cover when stripers attack. It will often be a short open (box canyon) cove close to deep water. If shad will not leave the shallows when you approach and even jump on the bank when you wave your hand, you know that stripers have recently attacked and will be close by. Bird activity really speeds up the search process.

Random coves where stripers trap shad are better fishing than the terminal end of long floodplain canyons. For example, the back of Red canyon always has shad but it is very shallow and brushy in the back where shad have the advantage. You can catch stripers there but only a few. Move further out to the mouth of Red and there are many short coves where stripers can round up shad in the channel and then trap them in the cove. When shad are found in these coves stripers are near and will be catchable either on top or on spoons at the mouth of the cove. Shad will escape (usually over night) after stripers leave and the next boil will occur where shad and stripers come together again. It may be in the same cove or a half mile away. That's why I contend that cruising and looking is better than waiting and wishing.

Morning and evening shad will feed near the top and the "dimpling dark cloud" of fish usually about 10 feet in diameter can be seen riffling the surface. Look for a riffle near the back of a calm cove. If lucky enough to find an unmolested feeding school check back periodically and you will find stripers.

Granted it takes more time to go look for shad. Sometimes I cruise for more than an hour without casting a lure. But when I find feeding stripers I make up for lost time in a hurry. Use the cruise and scan technique the first hour of light in the morning and last hour of light in the evening during August and September.

TYPES OF BOILS

Slurping: May - July

Larval shad are barely able to swim as they drift in the water column like plankton. All sizes of stripers eat larval shad in the first boils of the season. Stripers line up side by side and effectively graze on the surface in unison like a large lawn mower cutting grass. The feeding school moves just faster than most electric trolling motors can push a boat. The feeding activity looks like a single wave surrounded by calm water. It is very subtle and easy to miss. There is very little splashing although the slurping noise is audible for many hundreds of yards.

When a boat approaches the fish sound and then pop up again a few hundred yards away to resume feeding in a new direction.

Slurpers will sometimes take full sized surface lures and/or shallow running crankbaits. The lure is not as important as precision placement.

First, stop the boat just in casting range of the rapidly moving school. Determine direction of travel and coast that way. These fish are going to the right. See the smooth water ahead and riffled water behind the boil. Put the trolling motor on high, bear to the right and try to keep up. Approaching from behind is better than having a school come head on. It is difficult to place a cast properly when the school is movcing rapidly toward the boat.

Lure placement in this slurping group should be well over the biggest concentration in the middle of the picture. One angler should cast over the middle group while the other casts over and right of the splashing fish.

After sounding there is a period of waiting while the school regroups and comes to the top again. Look to see which way they were heading when they went down. These are going right. Move the boat slowly in the direction of travel hoping that fish pop up in casting range. When that happens the first cast should be a hookup.

But sometimes the fish double back and come up 200 yards in the wrong direction. In that case get on the big motor and try to get close again.

A tight boil means all fish have surrounded the prey. DO NOT CAST into the pod. That will cause the fish to jump in unison and then flee at full speed. Cast beyond or to either side and bring the lure into the strike zone.

When fish are down look for stragglers to come up. A couple of swirls mark the location of the school. Sometimes a single swirl will tell you where the next surfacing event will be and give you time to get in range before they come up.

Food size is very small, less than an inch, and terminal tackle cannot be much larger or it will often be ignored. Small white jigs, plastic worms, or spoons work when tossed into the school but long casts are required to reach the boat shy fish. One possible solution to this dilemma is to tie a small lure dropper behind a heavy lure (or casting bubble). The big lure delivers the goods but the small lure catches the fish.

Happy chasing.

Small Boils - July-September

Shad swimming ability changes as they grow large enough to avoid feeding stripers. Slurps change to Boils when shad can elude stripers in a one-on-one match up. When shad are available but only in small numbers stripers feed in small squads or individually instead of in complete schools. Five to ten stripers chase after a handful of shad. They break the surface in dolphin-like leaps when shad are cornered. The disturbance lasts only for a few seconds or as long as it takes to catch a mouthful of shad. The boil is random and usually repeatable, popping up again and again for brief moments in the same general 10-acre area.

ANGLING TECHNIQUE:

It is counterproductive to chase these boils with the boat. The better way is to proceed slowly in the vicinity of the last boil with either a trolling motor or big motor and hope that the next boil will be in casting range. These fish are very catchable as they are always searching for a stray shad, but pin-point casting and impeccable timing are essential for success. Determine direction of travel and try to get ahead of feeding fish. Turn off the motor and wait for the next splash. These boils require great patience. When fish swirl to the top, cast right into or 3 feet beyond the feeding fish. If placed in the 'feeding zone' the striper will hit the lure. Once the fish turns and dives he will not go back for the lure.

Moderate Boils - August - October

Stripers feeding together mean that shad schools are larger and exhibiting school behavior. Individual shad try to escape predators by moving to the center of the school. The ball of shad created is then ravaged by stripers who seek to kill, eat, injure, or damage as many shad as possible in a short time. Surface disturbance is great with water splashing high in the air as striper tails flail shad trying to stun them. After the initial attack stripers return and hunt down the cripples. Wounded shad flee along the surface making a very distinctive v-wake as they pass. The wake looks just the same (only smaller) as a stick-bait retrieved in the standard walk-the-dog fashion with a side to side motion of the lure.

Stick baits are the best baits (zara spook, jumpin' minnow, spittin image, etc.) as they lay out the distinctive v-wake that stripers are 'looking up' for to locate prey. Healthy shad are quick while injured shad are easy prey. A lure cranked down under the school looks healthy and will be passed while a lure trailing a v-wake on the surface is a target that cannot be ignored. Other lures (jigs, jerks, soft plastic, etc.) must be fished on the surface to be effective. One exception to this is the distinctive fall of a jigging spoon. When released on slack line the spoon's side to side sweeping motion resembles the death spiral of a mortally wounded shad and is another favorite striper target.

Approach the boil at top speed and then cut power when in casting range. Make sure boat drifts parallel to the boil and does not enter the perimeter which will cause the school to dive or to feed in the opposite direction.

Cast out of the side of the boat - Never in front where the forward motion of the boat overtakes the lure and does not allow it to work while the stripers are still on the surface. It is better to wait and make one good cast than to waste a cast and see the school leave while the errant lure is being retrieved.

Keep contact with the school by putting the electric motor on high and traveling in the same direction that the school is feeding. Boils of this magnitude may stay up for 10 minutes and then pop up an additional 3 or 4 times after the school sounds or is put down by fishing pressure.

Big Boils - (100 or more stripers)

The ultimate boil may be experienced a few times each season. Shad and stripers will be oblivious to the fishing boat. They will keep moving out of range and a trolling motor on low speed should keep the fish in casting range. Often there will be 3 or 4 schools feeding in all directions at all times. Park between schools and let them feed right back into casting range for maximum effectiveness. Just be quiet as possible and pretend you are a big striper. You can feed right in with the other predators for up to 4 hours.

Catch fish on all baits - your choice. It is wise to crimp hook barbs, take off all but one hook, or use only a single hook. Do not let a stray hook foul in the net or end up in your hand. Hope the fish get full and quit before you need assistance casting or no longer have a place to stand with fish bodies littering the entire deck.

FINDING STRIPER BOILS

When parked next to a boil stripers are quite easy to catch. Finding a boil may be more difficult. Cruising in the boat is better than waiting. Find an area where fish have been seen or reported and travel at moderate speed scanning for splashes and other disturbances. Since boils are random acts which occur only when shad and striper schools come together, it is most profitable to keep moving until a boil is discovered. I often travel into the morning sun looking for a striper splash to be back lit. The splash shows up much like a flash bulb going off marking the direction and location of feeding stripers.

Other animals seek an easy meal as shad leap into the air and even on shore to avoid marauding stripers. Gulls, terns and blue herons mark areas where open water boils have been or will be. Coyotes and ravens visit coves where shad are trapped. They wait for stripers to ravage the small forage fish and then pick up shad that flop out onto the beach. Western grebes feed on shad and will be near shad concentrations. Look for these animals that are hungry and better at finding boils and easier for us to see than the tell-tale splash in the vast expanse of open water.

When stopped near active fish or after a school has just left the surface, LISTEN for the loud splash which carries extremely well for long distances across the waters surface. Many boils are heard before being seen.

Lures for Boils

Jumpin'Minnow

Zara Spook

Sugoi Splash

TOPWATER - Preferred technique - Stripers are 'looking up' for food.

Many different topwater lures work. I prefer the 'Jumpin Minnow' over the Zara Spook because it casts further and maintains a nose up attitude in the water making it easier to walk the bait.

Bass poppers work fine but don't cast as far and must be "popped" resulting in a slower retrieve.

SPOONS - Required to prolong the boil after the fish sound. Note the close resemblance between the Wally lure and an adult threadfin shad.

Spoons are versatile as they can be fished on top while the boil is "up". They can also sink with the school as it retreats into deeper water.

Spoons can be fished on the bottom to continue to catch stripers that are waiting to resurface.

Single hooks as seen on the white jig are a wise choice for inexperienced anglers and kids. Two treble hooks per lure flying around in an adrenaline charged boil fishing atmosphere are cause for safety concerns. It is possible to replace most treble hooks with singles or use lures that come with single hooks. In Big boils the lure type will not matter.

Use fluorocarbon line as this line is almost invisible in water and has been proven to be effective in catching fish than monofilament. A short leader of fluorocarbon attached to braid or monofilament line will increase your catch rate when using bait.

Select a firm frozen anchovy. Soft thawed anchovies can be used most effectively as chum. Cut the anchovy into 3 pieces any of which can be used. The head stays on the hook best with the tail being fairly resilient. The trick to making the frozen bait stay on is to only run the hook in one time. Do not attempt to turn or reposition the barb. Push it in once and leave it for best results. Yes the bait will fall off when it thaws but I want to have a fish by then anyway. It should work long enough!

Do not use dried bagged anchovies as the preservative that keeps them viable will also send stripers running in the opposite direction.

If the bait is partially thawed I sometimes run the hook all the way through the bait (especially the head) and then turn the hook and draw it back to position the bait so that it is cradled in the bend of hook. Again, do not reposition hook location more than once.

I use either a Yamamoto circle hook (spit shot hook) but have had good luck Owner octopus hooks. I prefer size number 2 or 4 hooks depending on current size of striped bass. Hook size may be more important than brand or style. (DO NOT USE ANCHOVY HOOKS - THEY ARE MUCH TOO BIG FOR 2 POUND FISH) When fish get bigger, then a larger hook may be better. With circle hooks it is important to set it with a sweeping motion instead of a jerk of the wrist. It is possible to just start reeling when a bite is felt with a circle hook but don't jerk. If you jerk, then use a lead head jig and your style will match your terminal tackle.

The best anchovy rig is the carolina rig with the bait hook 18 inches below the weight in Spring time and 6 inches below in Winter. (Yes it does make a difference. Winter stripers lay on the bottom and may not rise up to grab a bait 2 feet off the bottom. Spring stripers are suspended and more willing to eat a bait that appears to be unrestrained by hook, line or sinker. Peg the weight in place with a swivel (preferred) or use a rubber core sinker or regular split shot. The inherent problem with this rig is terminal bait tangling with the sinker/weight. Using heavier line reduces foulups but I think also reduces bites so I just deal with occasional tangles.

I prefer the same jighead used for fishing plastic grubs as an alternate. Use a short swimming head to reduce profile as much as possible (lead is my normal color but I have had good luck with white). Hook the anchovy tail or head one time through the back so it is in-line with the jig head much like a grub would be. Hook it so the bait swims with the head instead of twirling on descent and retrieve.

Once at depth move the terminal bait as little as possible but always maintain positive contact with the bait. That means keep the line tight. With the subtle winter bite a gentle lift on the bait will offer a certain feeling of resistance when just the bait is felt and another magnitude of resistance when a fish is there. Being able to judge the difference is the whole key to catching or missing. The "bite" is seldom felt in the winter. A sense of "perhaps a fish is holding on" is what makes the fishing fun in December. Sometime you strike at nothing and other times you catch a fish that was never really detected. I enjoy the challenge!

CHUMMING

You can get the school to eat anchovies by cutting up 4-6 anchovies in 1/4 inch slices and broadcasting them in all directions around your (hopefully) stationary boat. Watch the bait descend and see how slowly it moves. It will take well over 5 minutes to reach 50-90 feet where resting schools may be. If the school takes the bait then they all look for food and will eat your baited hook too. They move shallower when one fish starts to feed.

So fix the carolina rig (above) and attach a one inch chunk of bait which covers as much of the hook as possible. If fishing at 60 feet it is okay to use one-half ounce of weight. Sometimes a quarter ounce is enough. Experiment and see how much weight is preferred by the fish on each individual day. They will let you know.

SUMMER - Chumming

In summer I suggest a slow descent rate. Put out 20 feet of line. Let it go down another 2 feet every minute. When you get to 80 feet start reeling in one foot every minute. Another method of simulating sink-rate of chum is to put half an anchovy on a weightless line and just let in sink naturally. I usually do this after I have hooked a fish or two and know that the school is in the area and interested. Heavy line will only let the bait go down about 30 feet before line buoyancy equals anchovy sink rate and gravity quits working. Really technique is not quite as important as finding fish. Read reports and keep a log or mark on a map where the action was.

Summer temperature forces striped bass adults into deep water and separates them from shad. Deep trolling with down riggers, jigging at 60-90 feet or bait fishing at 40-60 feet is the secret to finding summer time stripers. Trolling with monofilament is effective if fish are willing to come up from the depths when they see and feel prey 10-25 feet above them. Use a Deep Thunderstick Jr, Wally Diver, Shad Rap, Excalibur Fat Free shad or other deep diving plug trolled at 3-5 mph for best success.

SUMMER SLURPS- Young shad migrate out of murky water in June and July. If shad schools are large then stripers of all sizes (up to 4 pounds) begin feeeding on the very slow swimming shad. Stripers group so tightly they seem to be touching each other. Stripers swim in waves resembling a mowing machine as only mouths and foreheads break water. The disturbance is minimal but a tiny splash may be a 3 pound fish. Even though bigger stripers are feeding on inch-long shad they will hit full-sized surface baits or shallow runners. Yearling stripers may be so in tune with small bait size that presenting an inch long offering (crappie jig) is the only effective means of capturing them. I often tie a curly tail jig on an 18 inch monofilament leader to a hook on my surface lure. That way I can cast the big lure a long ways and still have a small offering to catch the smaller stripers.

FALL

Fall is the most exciting time. When shad are available stripers drive them to the surface creating surface feeding frenzies or “boils” (Click on Striper Boils). When feeding on the surface, stripers are constantly looking to the surface for food. Lures that stay on the surface and swim side-to-side making a V-wake, most resemble shad and demand attention from striped bass even when not actively feeding. It is common to retrieve the stick bait and see striped bass come up to look - then swirl as they head back down. This swirl is guaranteed assurance that stripers are in the area and can be coerced into feeding. Prospecting for stripers in the back of the canyon with a stick bait is a quick way to locate active fish.

WINTER

Winter patterns for stripers make them more vulnerable to anglers. In Fall stripers chase shad into brushy flood plains and feed shallow early and late. When temperatures plummet shad go deeper and stripers follow after them. During fall stripers were found chasing shad into submerged creek channels (40-60 feet) which led to shallow flood plains. In Winter stripers have pulled out deeper to the main channel where the canyon is wider. Bottom depth will be near 60-100 feet. Suspended at 70-90 feet shad schools which appear as a mass of grey fog may be sen on the graph. Stripers lay below the suspended shad in a dormant state, but when hungry will rise to the 45-60 foot range to capture a shad meal.

Stripers appear as a moving mass with individual fish shapes apparent around the edges of the school. Striper schools will often have "X" shaped marks on the perimeter while shad schools have a smooth perimeter. The resting school may appear as a black tower growing from the lake bottom. The tower is often accompanied by scattered unevenness which are fish laying on the bottom. In the excitement of hooking a fish remember to take a moment to glance at the graph and see the lines emerge from the tower as stripers go into feeding mode overdrive. This active school mode is the goal of every fishing trip. Memorize the line pattern so every active school seen in the future will translate to more stripers being caught.

Graph for fish traces about 1/3 the way out from the back of the canyon. Find the traces which are usually concentrated in Winter, but widely scattered in Fall. As the winter pattern solidifies shad schools and adjoining stripers get closer together and easier to find.

The best technique is to use a hammered silver jigging spoon, a shad colored slab spoon (wally lure- shad minnow), a half ounce or heavier white marabou jig or anchovy bait. Drop the lure into the striper school at the depth indicated on the graph. It is important to measure line as it drops so fish suspended at 50 feet can be targeted. If fish are 10 feet off the bottom then start at the bottom and reel up 10 feet so the lure is inside the school. If no response, try bait fishing at the same depth that stripers are marked on the graph. Stripers will feed all winter long but are less active when water temperature is colder than 55 degrees. The winter catching peak is from November 15 to December 15.

Most fish in Lake Powell are accustomed to seeing some green flash in their daily travels. Chartreuse is very visible in low light conditions that prevail at 40, 60 and deeper depths where the spoon is so effective. A chartreuse bucktail completes the total package in deep water. A shad colored (hologram) spoon with bucktail looks like a shad at depth in low light. It has the characteristic movement of a wounded shad as it sweeps toward the bottom on slack line. It creates a vibration and a resounding "thunk" as it hits bottom. We surface dwellers discount the very different properties that sound waves have in water versus air. Fish can hear for very long distances. More importantly they have the lateral line sensory organ that allows them to FEEL vibrations. Swimming motions of a fish in close proximity are felt by other fish.

A spoon at depth must be a sensory overload for striped bass that are still hungry but have to left the shallows. They hear and feel a spoon hit and rush over to take a look. The wounded shad tries to swim off the bottom as it is jigged by the angler. It doesn't have enough strength to get away and falls back. The green flash is added incentive. The spoon is inhaled. FISH ON!]]>waynegustaveson@hughes.net (Wayne Gustaveson)StripersFri, 26 Mar 2010 18:37:20 +0000Stripershttp://wayneswords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:stripers&catid=43:stripers&Itemid=11
http://wayneswords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:stripers&catid=43:stripers&Itemid=11Striped Bass InformationJune 2004

Striped bass are caught on cut dead anchovies when shad are no abundant. When shad are the main forage target then a shad-imitating lure works better. Surface lures, large marabou jigs, spoons and crankbaits work well around shad. Trolling with flat line monofilament is deadly as is leaded line and down-rigger trolling. The most exciting technique is to cast surface lures (stick baits) in surface feeding frenzies called "striper boils". During the fall and winter stripers go deep but are readily visible with the use of a fish locating graph which reduces search time and greatly enhances total harvest.

Please keep all striped bass caught so the population can stay in balance with available forage.

WHY?

Striped bass are ocean fish that can live in freshwater. Now that this population is landlocked in Lake Powell they are reproducing at an unprecedented rate due to the unique water chemistry of Lake Powell which allows eggs that settle on the substate to hatch instead of smothering as they would in most nutrient-rich (eutrophic) lakes.

With unlimited reproduction the limiting factor for striper survival and growth is available forage. Stripers have eliminated shad from the pelagic zone on more than one occasion. From 1986-1990 there were almost no shad seen in open water of Powell. That period resulted in stunted stripers and led to the current management plan which is to reduce striped bass numbers by angler harvest. If enough stripers are removed then those that are left will benefit from the finite forage base and remain healthy and grow normally.

That program has worked. In 2004 the average striper weighs about 3-4 pounds which is a good freshwater angling target. The fish are in excellent health which is my main concern. Stripers typically boil in the fall which is unheard of in most other freshwater species.

To keep the fishery as healthy as it is now we continue to harvest all stripers that will not be wasted. If you can't eat them all then give some to your family, friends and neighbors. Take good care of them, put fish immediately on ice, fillet as soon as possible, keep them cold and those that benefit from your good fishing fortune will be better friends and happy to see you coming up the walk. Do not waste any striped bass. In 2004 it is fine to release fish over 3 pounds but keep all the smaller ones to save shad for future striped bass feeding opportunities.

GROWTH AND SIZE OF STRIPED BASS

In the recent past most female stripers did not mature or spawn. That has changed in 2004 with most stripers spawning this year. The population was more than adequately replenished by trophy fish and young males spawning each year. Now a huge year class has been produced in 2004 which will lead to abundant catches in the near future.

Young stripers eat plankton and insects until they are about 4 inches long at which point they prefer to eat larval fish. If shad are available in larval form and they grow with the striper crop, then striper growth is phenomenal. A young striper could reach 12-14 inches in its first year of life. This was the case in 2003 and 2004.

In previous years, older stripers ate shad first leaving the young ones to exist on plankton. Then first year stripers go into their first winter at 4-5 inches.

Yearling stripers eat plankton til shad hatch in May. Then yearlings eat shad larvae and grow quickly during summer doubling their size by fall. These efficient, most numerous fish really consume a large number of shad and prevent many shad from ever growing up and becoming food for larger stripers.

Two year old stripers from 14-18 inches eat crayfish and shad as they enter the open water in July. Stripers will grow as large as each successive year class of shad will allow. More shad equals more growth. By fall of the second year they are healthy 18-24 inch fish and at their prime - although not old enough or large enough to be sexually mature.

The key for three year old fish is to find enough shad for growth - not just maintenance - during the 3rd year. They wait for young-of-year to eat larval shad, yearlings to eat the next size larger shad and two year olds to eat in the open water in July, before they get a good crack at the remaining forage. In a good year like 2003-2004 3-year old stripers can weigh from 3-6 pounds.

Mature fish weighing more than 4 pounds grow rapidly when shad are available in open water. When shad are scarce there is no food for the larger stripers as they are forced to live in cooler water by changing physical requirements. Big stripers need cool water. Yearlings have no problem with warm water and can eat the very smallest shad. This "ontogenetic" partitioning of size classes works well in the ocean but has turned everything upside down in freshwater. Smallest stripers are the favored predators when shad are scarce. Adult stripers have the upper hand when shad are plentiful. Stripers up to 3 pounds have acclimated to warm water and are able to feed in water exceeding 80 degrees.

Our harvest program is absolutely essential, critical, can't-stess-enough how important, to prevent stockpiling of age classes and allowing the population to reach the point where no one has enough food. When this happens all older fish are disadvantaged and the only ones that can survive the next winter are the yoy and yearlings that can eat plankton. A massive dieoff ensues.

We have not had a significant winter die off during the 90's thanks to angler harvest and 3 good shad years.

Catch and KEEP a striper. It is the only way we can keep this great fishery going.]]>waynegustaveson@hughes.net (Wayne Gustaveson)StripersFri, 26 Mar 2010 18:26:13 +0000